Books I've Finished Reading

Donna Parker in Hollywood by Marcia Martin (1961) This is the 5th book in the Donna Parker series, a fairly short (7 volumes, I believe) series for young girls—though judging by this one, anyone might be interested. Donna takes a plane from her home in the East to Los Angeles where she's staying with relatives during summer vacation. The adventure begins on the flight—there are mechanical problems—then a layover in Chicago and an adventure with a boy she met on the plane (who would figure into her LA adventures). She then meets another boy in LA, and spends a lot of time comparing the two. She also meets two film-industry kids, girls her age, who are very different. One is a painter and a bit of a misfit. Here is an excerpt: Donna is invited to a luau, and she's freaked out about what to wear, so she asks her new acquaintance—next-door neighbor to her aunt and uncle—the mysterious Jennifer, a young artist, who then tells Donna, “I never go to parties.” Donna questions her and Jennifer says: “It seems so foolish to spend all that valuable time being nice to a lot of people who who probably don't mean a thing to you, when there are so many more interesting things to do, like reading, or listening to music.” To which Donna wonders, Were all artists like that? There is a lot of stuff like that, young person social stuff, and also a couple of legitimate mysteries. Also, a trip up to San Francisco, and a visit to the now gone Pacific Ocean Park. Based on this book, I'm going to read more Donna Parker!

R SPEEN

LISTS

Nobody likes to do it—to have to list their favorite 10 or 100 anything—because it exposes you in the worst way. Suddenly on display is your lack of knowledge, experience, sophistication, education, not to mention memory. But I love when people do it—make these crazy lists—because of what it tells me about a person. We judge each other—often fairly, often harshly—all the time, anyway, but when it comes down to it, when you're doing the judging, that says more about you than the person you're judging. Do you judge with disdain and contempt, or with understanding and love? Anyone is qualified to make a list of their “favorites”—yet people shy away from it. I can understand that, I suppose. But there are very few geniuses making lists, really, and even the geniuses have tremendous gaps in their knowledge and experience, and even more so in their taste. “Taste” is a funny word because it implies—or it has come to imply—“good taste”—when really it just means a person's individual preference. I think people realize that Good Taste sounds really pretty pretentious, because that implies that you are proclaiming to have better taste than everyone around you. Okay, you just got to get rid of all these hang-ups, people, and make some lists! There's no right and wrong, and even if there was, so what? So put your money where your mouth is (I just like saying that) and make some damn best-of lists!!

Reading

This is a list of books that I'm currently reading. I always read more than one book at a time because it often makes me so sad to finish a book I'll do anything to put off finishing it. So it's a much better strategy for me to read several at a time. I also re-read a lot of books. I realize that I will not have enough time in my life to read all the books I want to read, but still, it's important to me to re-read many books—sometimes I feel like reading is re-reading—so what are you gonna do?

Books

An ongoing journal of books I have recently read with brief thoughts about them. I am limiting myself to one paragraph (so that I will actually keep up with it – the rules I make for myself are usually designed to motivate me and not allow me to get bogged down in my self-appointed obligations). I started writing these mini-reviews when I started this website (2016). I have actually finished books before this time, but I am not writing about them here. Occasionally, I'll include an entry of books that I have started and abandoned, for whatever reason (and maybe I'll give a reason). Also, I will occasionally post a list of the best / my favorite / most influential books / novels / works of non-fiction / children's books / etc.

Tacos

A long list of places to eat tacos in the Milwaukee area. This is an incomplete resource, as it constantly changes, and as a ranking, it's a work in progress, as I slowly try to eat at each of these establishments.

Vinyl

Random record reviews written while listening to vinyl records and looking at album covers, while visiting people and cat-sitting and drinking coffee.

Ice Cream

Currently my favorite 31 flavors of ice cream, along with copious footnotes.